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Getting the Microdiscectomy done tomorow!!!

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Its now been almost 1 month and a week since the micro has been done. I went to my second Physical Therapy session late last week and was put on the excersise ball for core strengthening. So i have been doing them as well as my stretches and am scheduled to go back in on the 16th for my last session. The PT doesnt think i need to go anymore and just wants me to continue to do my core excesises daily for awhile and then i can back off to a few times a week which he recomended doing the rest of my life. So far everything is positive. my leg strength has been back for awhile and i now have no numbness in my foot. My leg muscles are still tight and become sore after workouts and long use. Other than that i am essentially at a pain level of zero. my right leg and butt muscle does still hurt if i sit on a hard chair, or let my legs hang with my feet not touching the floor. Not sure if this is because the muscles are tight or if it is the nerves. but i can live with that

Reading your posts makes me stay positive about my recovery. I was wondering how did you get to work just few days after your surgery. I just had the micro. and I am not allowed to drive until I see my doc's nurse practioner in which will be two weeks after the procedure.

I was told not to drive for 2 weeks either and it was my understanding that it was because of the meds that i was on. Well besides advil, i was off my pain meds 2 days post op and just on the antibiotics for 5 days, so i wasnt taking anything for a couple days before i started driving. Physically i felt fine to drive so i just drove to work. But for me, my drive is only 2 minutes as well, and not much for traffic. I wouldnt have tried driving in rush hour traffic in a major city. But its probably kind of your judgement. Im guessing the 2 week period covers the people that might not do as well after the surgery

To add a few more comments on driving -- when I had my fusion I didn't quite understand the driving restrictions. Then I had a smaller procedure about 6 weeks ago and was told no driving till I saw my surgeon. Due to my mom ending up in the ER three times in the space of a week, 40 minutes from my house, and one week after my surgery, I ended up riding quite a bit. I did make my husband do the driving, but even riding in the car that much caused a delay in my recovery. Now I understand some of the reasons why it is best to avoid driving or riding in cars for at least the first several weeks.

Obviously docs want to avoid the risk of having a patient arrested for driving on drugs. Beyond the legal problems, there are good physical reasons to avoid riding or driving.

Any surgery is traumatic to the muscles and soft tissues of the spine. Even riding in a car, the body tenses to support itself as the car goes over bumps, brakes, accelerates, etc. No matter how smoothly one drives, the muscles still tense up to compensate for this motion. Second, you are folded into a position that puts additional stress on the discs. All of this causes additional strain and stress on the spine at a time when it is most important that the body devote all its energy to healing. It often causes additional inflammation that would not be occurring if the patient was just limiting his/her activities to walking and resting around the house.

When you are very early in your recovery, it just makes sense to give yourself every opportunity to be in the optimal healing situation. So, try to be patient and don't rush things!

I just had my last physical therapy session today. Everything is still going well and just have a butt load of excersises to do, but he said i dont need to come back unless i feel i need to. He said to wait 2 more weeks and i could go play golf again. Anyways, Im signing off on this post, and will not be posting any more updates unless there are requests to do so. I will be dropping in every few days to post comments on other peoples posts. Thank you everyone for the help and support you have givin me.

hey all....thought id stop by and say hi and give another update. Its been just over two months and id have to say im now back close to 100% if not 100%. Im done with Physical Therapy and have been released to do my own workouts. All pain is gone and am doing everything before. My bowling average has even increased from a 155 to a 161 since the surgery .....Anyways, i have some mynute back pain if i arch my back and try to generate pain, but i think thats because of both them discs being bad. Other than that, i have been cleared to even play golf this weekend. Too bad its supposed to snow over a foot .....So yes, that will be my first true test to see how the back does.

I am glad that you dropped by. I just had my 2nd microdiscectomy and want your good luck vibe to come by way!!! Today is day 3 post Op. The only pain I feel is in my buttock when I roll over and at the incision site.